Gimbals are pivoted supports that can rotate in one or more axis. In one application, optical elements, such as infrared cameras, digital or analog cameras in the visible electromagnetic range, and laser pointers, among other things are mounted to be rotated in at least two axes inside gimbals. These gimbals are mounted on surveillance aircrafts, such as drones, helicopters and fixed wing airplanes, naval vessels, military/law enforcement vehicles, etc. Commercial gimbals, such as the Ultra 8000 family of surveillance gimbals or the Cobalt 350 gimbal among many others, are manufactured by FLIR Systems, Inc. based in Billerica, Mass., Goleta, Calif. and Wilsonville, Oreg.
Optical equipments are typically individually installed in gimbals. Each has to be aligned individually within gimbals, which are typically about 3 inches to 16 inches in diameters and preferably about 9 inches or less in diameter, and has to be connected to electronic and computer equipments designed to allow images taken by the optical equipments to be transported, processed or stored.
Optical equipment can also be mounted on optical benches or base plates, which are then installed inside gimbals. Examples of optical benches are discloses in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,841,592, 6,788,476, 5,058,993, 7,631,839 and 4,798,462 and US publication number US2009/0175308. A potential drawback of conventional optical benches is that the benches may distort when inserted into another structure, such as gimbals.
Hence, there remains a need for an optical box that is preferably modular and can be installed into gimbals after the optical elements are installed and aligned in the box.